52 Ancestors Week 2: Favorite Family Photo

 

From Amy Johnson Crow: This week’s theme is “Favorite Family Photo.”  What is the story behind it??

I am going to be straight up honest with you right from the start:  I do not have a favorite family photo. 

There are way too many memories forever documented in photographs for me to ever pick just one favorite.  I could pick childhood photos, family reunion photos, my wedding photo, photos of adventures and boon doggles with my son, or my many road trips in and around Appalachia with my husband.  I could also pick a photo from the bazillion pet photos that I have.  🐾

So, why did I finally decide on this one photo?  Truthfully, it is probably the only time that myself and my two brothers actually, somewhat, got along.  And, it gives me an opportunity to truly document my Dad's dedication to make sure his family had a family vacation once a year.  Something he never had until he married.

My Dad was a policeman for Prince George's County, Maryland.  He would work, part time, as a security guard, in his PG County uniform which was allowed at the time, for extra vacation money.  It was actually a really dangerous job because it was at a drug store in a seriously bad part of a city.  He would save all the money earned from that part time job to afford a trip to Walt Disney World and Daytona Beach.

I have very few early memories of my parents being together and in our home because they divorced when I was in kindergarten.  This picture along with home movies that were converted to VHS are all I have to spark the memories.

This picture was the last of the Craig Family Florida Vacations.

This picture was in Daytona Beach, Florida.  We kids had our own room and, wow, were we brats.  There was nothing more fascinating than that ice machine down the hall.  I think we emptied it, at least, three times a day.  We were also in the pool, terrorizing the others with screams and belly flops, as much as our parents would let us.  I won't mention the infamous Putt Putt Golf incident that to this day our parents still don't know about. 

My brothers would go deep sea fishing during the day.  My Mom and I would go shopping at those old style boutique stores that sold dresses and accessories but has now given way to air brushed tshirts and dive bars.  

My brothers hated having a little sister.  Tim, would tell everyone, before I was born, that if I was a girl, he is throwing me down the stairs.  🤣    They wanted a rough and tumble brother that played with matchbox cars and could pitch an incredible fast ball on their boys and girls club baseball team.  Not a prissy little sister who buried their match box cars in the yard because they wouldn't let me play with them. 

While we get along, now, that vacation, we were all simpatico:  crazy kids running around and high on sugar and Mickey Mouse.  It would take another 30 years before we became truly simpatico again.

My brothers - Tim and Steve

Bowie, Maryland - 2015

We used to drive to Florida in the old family station wagon until my Mom demanded we fly.  As an extremely young girl, I was already addicted to travel the first time I stepped onto an Eastern Airlines airplane.

.....but when we drove to Florida, it always included a stop at South of the Border.  The most fascinating place for kids.  Stores and stores and stores of junk toys begging to be purchased.

Learn about my brother Tim and more of his adventures and see if you are related or connected to him by visiting his profile at WikiTree.com.

52 Ancestors Week 1: In the Beginning

From Amy Johnson Crow: This week’s theme is “In the Beginning.”  Who was the first person you wanted to find when you started your genealogy journey? 

My Uncle Drex was the family historian on my mom's side. This was back in the days before computers and Post-it notes. Before he passed away, he gave me the notes he had left—most of them were lost during moves with his last wife—and asked that I carry on the family genealogy. I smile as I remember his deep voice saying those words. He had a rich, resonant voice and sang in the family band.

I completely adored him. 

He had the biggest smile and gave the best hugs whenever he saw you. 

He is also the one that gave me my very secret nickname that only my West Virginia family used:  Sawnee.  A combination of my name Saundra and Niece.  

It makes sense that he was the family historian. His deep sense of place and uncontainable love for West Virginia shaped much of who he was. He graduated high school in Walkersville, West Virginia, and soon after, he joined the U.S. Air Force. 

Uncle Drex was closest in age to my mom, Edie, and together they became their parents' biggest helpers on the farm and with their younger siblings. He was deeply religious and was baptized in the Mighty Elk River in Webster County, West Virginia. Later in life, he answered the call to ministry and became a minister.

After basic training for the US Air Force, he was stationed in Alaska for six years as a radio technician.  Almost as far away from his beloved State as he could get. 

After his time in the Air Force, Uncle Drex became a long-haul truck driver, a career he pursued for decades. He was well-known on the road by his CB call sign, "Wolfman."

One of my most cherished childhood memories is when he let me climb up in his Big Rig and pull the rope to make the truck horn blare, loudly.  Yes, my brothers were so jealous.

When he wasn’t driving across the country for work, he would visit family and cousins throughout West Virginia. These visits were more than genealogical pursuits; they were joyful occasions filled with great conversations, often accompanied by a slice of cake or pie and a cup of coffee. He would ask questions, confirm timelines, and work to solve family mysteries, all in his pursuit of documenting our family history.

Uncle Drex was meticulous in his efforts. He would call relatives and visit them door-to-door, ensuring the accuracy of his genealogy records. Thanks to his diligence and passion, many of the Kings of Braxton, Webster, and Lewis Counties, as well as the Bonners of Webster County, and other relatives who first came to the United States, are now well-documented through Drexell's surviving handwritten notes.

Learn more about his remarkable work and see if you are related or connected to My Uncle Drex by visiting his profile at WikiTree.com.

Appalachian New Years Traditions

 As a kid, we never celebrated NYE much. My Mom always found it depressing and would encourage us to "just go to bed early".  As an adult, I've been to parties for NYE but have come to realize that I prefer something subdued, at home. 

Talking with several of my Appalachian family and friends, I am finding out that a subdued NYE is extremely cultural. 

Community focus

Appalachians tend to focus more on family and religion on NYE than the big and impersonal celebratory parties.  Although joining others for a NYE "event" is common for the younger generation. 

Religion

Some Appalachian communities have strong religious backgrounds, which could lead to a more conservative approach to celebrating holidays like New Year's Eve.  This reminds me of "Watch Night" at Church (aka Watch Service).  Our Church started at 7pm and lasted until after Midnight. There would be food, church service/ministry, communion, testimonials, singing, and more. 

Rural

Many parts of Appalachia are still rural and NYE usually has winter weather making travel a challenge.  Nesting at home vs venturing out to a large city celebration is often preferred. 

Food

An Appalachian New Year's Day meal almost always consists of pork (more modern is fish replacing pork), collard greens (with a dime inside the  bowl of greens for prosperity) or cabbage/sauerkraut, and black-eyed peas.

This is a popular Appalachian tradition believed to bring good luck, good health and prosperity in the new year.

It has never worked for me so I tend to have champagne, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and start binge watching something new for the new year.

Quirky Celebrations

* The John Campbell School shoots a pair of old boxer shorts out of a cannon.

*North Georgia has the Possum Drop 

* West Virginia has the Great Pepperoni Roll Drop

* Asheville has a board game party

Music

Enjoy Auld Lang Syne by Philip Bowen playing the fiddle. It doesn't get more Appalachian than this. 

What are your NYE Traditions?  

Drop a comment and share. I would love to see what others do around Appalachia and beyond. 

Happy New Year!

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